If you enter your horses in shows or race events then you quite naturally take them on the road quite a bit. You’ve spent time finding a motorised horsebox or trailer that suits your needs, but now comes the prickly matter of finding proper insurance to make sure that all of your assets, both wheeled and hoofed, are covered. Here we take a look at what you need to know about getting horsebox insurance.
Specialist insurance for horseboxes
Insuring a horsebox is generally classified as a ‘non-standard’ risk. This is due not just to their large size, additional axles and the extra skill needed to manoeuvre them, but also because you wouldn’t generally have large animals in the back of a Ford Fiesta! You need to find the right type of horsebox insurance from an insurer that deals with these unique risks.
The first thing you need to consider is whether you are insuring a motorised horsebox or a horse trailer. Because these both have different risks, you need to get horsebox insurance that is tailored to your specific unit. The size and tonnage of your vehicle is particularly relevant.
Good horsebox insurance will have several components:
Insurance to protect against theft
Horseboxes can be highly valuable and as such are a target for thieves. Your insurance should be sufficient to cover the full value of your vehicle otherwise you could end up out of pocket when thieves strike.
Insurance to protect against road accidents
Other motorists should generally give horseboxes a wide berth, while the person driving or towing it should be experienced at handling it, but sometimes accidents happen anyway. Your horsebox insurance should cover you in the event that you are involved in a road traffic accident. You should also of course make sure that your animals are insured against such eventualities.
Insurance against breakdown
If you breakdown in your Ford Fiesta then it will generally be an annoying inconvenience. With a horsebox transporting live animals it’s a somewhat different matter. Your horsebox insurance should provide you with not only recovery for the vehicle but also suitable alternative transport for you and your horses. The best insurance policies will also include access to overnight stabling and accommodation facilities.
Having the right horsebox insurance means having the peace of mind of knowing that no matter what happens, you and your horses are covered.